UTA Association Management Staff
UTA’s staff handles the day-to-day work of the Association. Meet your team. |
 Cheryl Balalong (Annual Conference Support)
Cheryl helps to ensure that everything runs smoothly at the Annual Conference, handling registrations, gift auction purchases, social events
and anything and everything else that occurs during an association conference. |
 Julie Jacinto (Bookkeeping)
Julie handles UTA’s bookkeeping duties. Julie has 22 years of bookkeeping experience including 15 years of medical office management. She handles all aspects of full-service bookkeeping and financial reporting including budget maintenance, consolidating chart of accounts, and aging reports. Julie has handled bookkeeping services for retail, construction and real estate companies as well as medical offices, property management companies and associations. She has also taught QuickBooks courses. |
 Chris Kahler (The Video Guy)
Chris is the genius behind the videos that members enjoy. He has produced the conference videos that capture the fun and excitement of a UTA conference. He also coordinates the technical aspects of UTA’s podcasts. |
 Richard Meyers (Executive Director)
Richard is responsible for implementing Board policy and for the day-to-day operations of the staff team.
In 2004, he founded Association Growth Management, an association management company, which is proud to represent UTA. His experiences also include a stint on Capitol Hill as a Legislative Director to a Member of Congress and as a lobbyist for a lobbying firm specializing in health care appropriations for non-profit associations, including the Association of Minority Health Professions Schools. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Richard has testified before Congress and state legislatures on behalf of associations and served as a national industry spokesman for several associations. He has been interviewed on National Public Radio and quoted in The New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal. He has contributed to the growth of every association with which he has been affiliated. |
 Cathy Palmateer (Annual Meeting Planner)
Cathy coordinates and helps in the site selection process and handles conference hotel negotiation for UTA’s annual conference. Cathy represents 21 years of experience in the meetings industry. An expert in meeting planning, she handles all aspects of meeting and conference logistics including: site selection and contract negotiation, on site meeting management, on-line registration and housing management, food and beverage planning and comprehensive program production. |
 Ruth Sarreal (Communications Manager)
Ruth Sarreal writes for the UTA eNews and the UTA Quarterly. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with degrees in English and Communication. She has five years of association management writing experience. |
 Esther Szasz (Lead Web Developer)
Esther Szasz is the lead web developer for UTA. She designed the Association’s website; the conference website and the eNewsletter, as well as all of the Association’s print and electronic ads.
In her sixteen years of experience as a designer Esther has developed her expertise in search engine marketing practices and web development. She has been a Creative Director for six years. Her former clients include Toshiba, Chase and Bascom.
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 Valerie Tomlin (Deputy Executive Director and Database Management)
Valerie is UTA’s Deputy Executive Director, available in Richard’s absence. Valerie manages the Association’s member database and handles the layout for UTA Quarterly.
Valerie’s list of computer systems and software capabilities reads like a textbook on “what you need to know about computers to survive in the new millennium.” An expert in contact management and database software, Valerie handles quick and seamless mail merges and up-to-the-minute extensive database management – the backbone of any association. Valerie’s background includes administrative management with Stewart Title as well as operating a business management service company. |
 Tanna Violi (Receptionist/Administrative)
Tanna handles receptionist and telephone answering services for UTA and always adds pleasant greetings when visiting the UTA office. |
 Rick Whittaker, CPA (Tax Preparation)
Rick Whittaker handles the Association’s tax preparation. Rick’s firm, Accounting Solutions, is a full-service Certified Public Accounting firm representing both individuals and businesses but specializing in non-profit tax management. |
